John Norton Oxley was an Australian farmer and politician. He was a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly

New South Wales Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of New South Wales, an Australian state. The other chamber is the Legislative Council. Both the Assembly and Council sit at Parliament House in the state capital, Sydney...

 for one term between 1856 and 1857.

Early life

Oxley was the eldest son of the noted explorer and colonial surveyor-general, John Oxley

John Oxley

John Joseph William Molesworth Oxley was an explorer and surveyor of Australia in the early period of English colonisation.October 1802 he was engaged in coastal survey work including an expedition to Western Port in 1804-05...

. He was educated at The King's School, Parramatta and undertook a grand tour of Europe between 1842 and 1845. On his return to Australia he farmed his father's property "Kirkham Estate" initially growing lucerne but later converting to cereal crops. Together with his brother and fellow parliamentarian, Henry Oxley he received a government grant of 5,000 acres in the Camden

Camden, New South Wales

-Education:Camden is the location of research facilities for the veterinary and agricultural schools of the University of Sydney. The local government area has two public high schools, Camden High School and Elderslie High School, as well as eight Catholic and three Anglican schools.-Culture:The...

 area.

State Parliament

In 1856 Oxley was elected unopposed as one of the two members for West Camden in the first New South Wales Legislative Assembly under responsible government. His parliamentary performance was uninspiring and he did not hold office. He was defeated at the next election in 1858. One further attempt to re-enter parliament in 1859 was also unsuccessful.